Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Prayer Stays in Florida School, Opposing Atheists

Last summer the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) threatened the Okaloosa County School District with legal action if school board meetings continue to open with prayer, but after months of vocal support from residents, the board voted to continue the prayers.

"What will we teach our children if we give in to these bullies? That a godless few can scare us?"-- Robert English, resident of Laurel Hill, Florida

“The resolution is put together by following court cases and research on other resolutions,” said board attorney Jeff McInnis. “It’s not a resolution that will advance a particular religion over another.”

“(The) School Board … has established and wishes to maintain a tradition … by allowing for an opening invocation as legislative prayer at meetings … to assist the board members in setting their minds to a higher purpose and to ease their task of governing the school district,” the resolution says.

"We're here to influence the board to continue their traditional invocation, and not bow down to a godless bully group." said Laurel Hill resident Robert English.

During a period for public comments on the issue, English maintained that there was no mention of the concept of separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution, and cited numerous examples of governmental references to God on currency and in Florida's state motto.

At its July 27 meeting, School Board attorney Jeff McInnis announced that the board had decided to temporarily adopt a moment of silence in place of the traditional invocation while the matter was investigated. The board requested that McInnis research legal precedent and present them with an opinion by the end of September.